Review of The Deer Hunter (1978) by Elliott F — 02 Oct 2010
As an analysis of how the Vietnam War affects the people of a small town in Pennsylvania makes Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter almost like an update of The Best Years of Our Lives. Robert De Niro plays Mike, a man with a passion for deer hunting, who goes registers for the army to be transported to Vietnam with his friends Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage).
Leaving behind friends, family, and lovers, Mike, Nick, and Steven struggle to survive in the tropic hell to which they've been transported. The performances are uniformly superb, specifically from De Niro, who brings a gentleness to his rugged character, Walken, in an Oscar-winning and career-defining role, and Meryl Streep, whose performance as Linda, Nick's girlfriend, is one of the most gut-wrenching in the film.
Devastatingly sad, The Deer Hunter is one of the greatest war films of all time, and manages to achieve an intimate, genuine feel while also spanning three hours.
This review of The Deer Hunter (1978) was written by Elliott F on 02 Oct 2010.
The Deer Hunter has generally received very positive reviews.
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